Is Modern Culture Ruining Childhood in Belize?

 A culture is a set of values which are followed by number of people and is carried on through generations but there has been a shift from traditional to modern culture and as a result children have lost the meaning of childhood. Because of rapid technological advances, music and lax social norms, modern culture has become a detriment to childhood in Belize.

Childhood is a phase in which children are supposed to be sacred, guarded and protected 

from the harsh truths of life but as a result of technology and social media, children are exposed to all of these things at an early age. This then leads to a spark in curiosity and children begin experimenting. The adventure once experienced and enjoyed by playing outside the house has been thrown aside for the pleasure of social media and video games. Children no longer care for sports and simple social interactions. Instead they hide

behind the internet and computers, making friends online rather

than face to face; competing with each other through violent video 

games instead of a friendly game on the field or court.  Children 

now find excitement in playing games where the goal is to kill, 

evidently, they begin to lean toward the thought that violence is the 

best solution and they take this with them into everyday life.

Following this further, it is said that music is the universal language, and in today’s modern culture, music has become very influential and undoubtedly plays a key role in the good as well as the bad effects on our Belizean children. Music serves as a medium of self-expression as well as an emotional outlet, but on the flip side, it is sad to say most of today’s modern culture music, the rap genre

especially, lack substance as well as a positive message. These 

songs are all either sexually explicit, profane or promote the use of 

drugs and violence. They tell young boys that it is okay to be 

promiscuous, that it is okay to indulge in drugs. They present this 

illusion that the fast life is the best and only way to go. While 

young girls are taught to dress inappropriately, that a certain body type is better, to use their bodies as 

a sexual object, instead of preserving and covering up their bodies and respecting themselves or to be 

comfortable in their own skin. 

In addition, Belizean society suffers from very lax social norms and cultures. It is rather disheartening to know that a great number of children are growing up in single parent homes. Homes where the one parent present is always working, there is an absence of proper guidance and attention for the child/children. The absence of proper role models in a child’s life can have grave long term effects. For example, a young man growing up without a father will most likely end up in the streets, and by the age of 16 in the system or dead.  With the birth of modern culture, vital traditional cultures died; discipline being one of them. Children are no longer being disciplined at home, so they lack respect for elders as well as each other. These are all root causes as to why Belizean childhood is being ruined by modern society.

To sum it all up, the rapid technological advancements, vulgar music and lax social norms of modern society has become something of a detriment to the children of Belize; all because they cause children to become exposed to the harshness of the world at an early age, they are exposed to violence and vulgarity. Children are encouraged or tempted to indulge in drugs drinking and promiscuity, and as a result of the lack of proper guidance and discipline at home, children lack respect. These are all contributing factors of the issues we are now facing in society.